1) Beating the odds
Saroja Yeramilli was confident when she reached out to raise funds for her first venture that investors will back her proposal because of her stellar track record in the corporate world. But she was offered a rude awakening instead. This was the year 2015 when Yeramili was rolling out Melorra, an online brand to disrupt the traditional way of selling, buying, making and perception of jewellery. In 2023, the brand delivers across 26,000 PIN codes; has 23 experience centres in 12 cities; has added a long list of backers; had operating revenue of ₹364.4 crore in FY22. The tenacious founder and CEO of Melorra embarked on a journey filled with odds, lows, and rejections before reaching the current milestone. This is the story of a founder who refused to give up. Read here
2) Supermoms for SuperBottoms
Pallavi Utagi’s maiden venture was born out of her efforts to find the best for her baby. Not unlike every new mom that wants to give the world to her newborn. Her entrepreneurship journey began in 2014, and by 2016 SuperBottoms started gaining steam. Next year the rookie founder faced her first 'copycat' threat from one of her ex-employees. Eventually, the imposter was defeated. Another battle was fought in 2020 against FMCG giant P&G when Pampers rolled out cloth diapers in India. Both crises showed Utagi that she has the backing of supermoms on the team and a loyal army of mothers as her consumers. The filmy yet powerful feeling of Mere pass maa hai became a reality for her. Read here
3) Another one bites the crust
Because of the rising prices of grocery, dairy products, and vegetables, Indian households have reduced dining out and ordering in. Zomato stopped services in 225 smaller cities in January this year. Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) are feeling the brunt of reduced ticket size and the slowdown in discretionary consumption. Yet, QSR businesses in India are aggressively expanding their stores into Tier II and III cities. These businesses are confident that the trend is transient. Analysts are making bearish commentaries, and there is widespread nervousness around the declining consumption pattern in India. So who will survive, and who will bite the crust? Read here